Your Heart Is An Empty Room
by the.silly.banana.muffin
Summary: ...And to think; what had happened that night had been real-they had meant every single bit of what they had said. But now it seemed it had been all but forgotten. Each chapter features a different song, but the first uses "Your Heart Is An Empty Room".
1. Reminisce

Howdy partners. ^_^ I've finally got something scratched up for the sequel to _Sanctuary_-which, is obviously this little story. This certainly isn't going to be a oneshot, so expect more from me. c: Remember; me likey reviews. :D Constructive cristism is greatly appreciated, and I ALWAYS welcome your comments. Please keep in mind that this _is _a sequel, so you probably aren't going to be able to understand much of what's happening here unless you read _Sanctuary_. I'm still having some problems putting single line breaks in, so please bear with me as you try to read the lyrics (they're obviously the chunks of lines in italics)-but I thought I'd just let y'all know. The song used in this first chapter is "Your Heart Is An Empty Room" by Death Cab for Cutie. It isn't the entire song, but just the first half. To really get a feel for the song and story, you should really look up "Your Heart Is An Empty Room" on Youtube or iTunes. :D

Enjoy. :)

* * *

_Burn it down_

'_Till the embers smoke on the ground_

_And start new_

_When your heart is an empty room_

_With walls of the deepest blue  
_

So it had been a week.

A week since that night. A week since that moment.

Scrubbing the stuck-on-food off of the plates; that was all Tifa had been thinking about. That night-that single minute that ignited a single spark.

He hadn't said much to her since then. She supposed that was because she hadn't spoken to him much since then, either. Cloud Strife hardly ever spoke unless he was being directly addressed-and she hadn't done a whole lot of that.

Marlene and Denzel didn't know about what had happened. If they found out that she and Cloud had _kissed_, it would be the only thing that they ever talked about from that second forward.

_Holes fade_

_How it ages when you're away_

_And spring blooms_

_As you find that love is true  
_

Cloud told her that he loved her.

And he held her-he _meant _what he said; what he had done, and every single bit of it.

Either that, or he was a very good liar.

…But he didn't do anything like it again.

He was on another long delivery trip. Marlene had made him promise that he would be home early today because this was her last day staying with them. Barret would be in Edge to take her back home with him to Coral early the next day; Marlene wanted as much time as she could possibly have to be with Cloud, Denzel, and Tifa.

Tifa looked up to the clock on the other side of the bar.

5:00.

Cloud told her that he would be home at six. Now, if he really _did _come home at six; that would be a completely different story. But Tifa had cleared one of the tables closest to the bar and left one extra plate, cup and fork-just in case.

"…Can I get another beer?" A hand raised above the thin crowd spaced about the tables.

Tifa turned and pulled a bottle of beer from the refrigerator and slid it to the end of the bar. "This is your last one."

The half-inebriated man stumbled forward and seized the brown bottle before clumsily returning to his seat.

She watched him for a moment before she continued to replace the numerous dishes back into their respective cupboards. She was trying to enforce a limit on the amount of alcohol given to her customers-if she could keep the number of drunks to a minimum; that would make her happy enough. Just to make her job easier…

_But you don't know what now to do_

_Because the chase is all you know_

_And you stopped running months ago  
_

Tifa glanced to the stairwell in the back. Denzel and Marlene weren't down yet-she could hear their feet pounding on the floor from upstairs as they played with one another. Marlene was probably chasing him for stealing something silly, like one of her favorite markers. Denzel liked taking her dolls from her, too; Tifa couldn't help but laugh softly as she listened to the children's muffled voices as they shouted at one another.

"…Hey, you son'a bitch-"

She quickly lifted her head. The man she had just given a drink to was now leaning against his table; his face contorted into a drunken, angry look as he glared at another man standing on the opposite end of the table. The barmaid quickly slid past the counter and took the drink from the man's hand. "I think you've had enough."

"Don't be sill-y," The man's words were slurred and slow. "I'm not anywhere…near drunk."

Tifa placed the half-full bottle onto the table behind her and placed her wet hands on her hips. "Can you count backwards from ten for me?"

A snicker.

She turned to the other man who had taken the other's drink and shot him an icy glare. He sat back down at his table.

The drunk let out a roaring laugh and shook his head. "What are 'ya, some kinda doctor? You're suppos'd to give me my beer back."

_And all I see_

_Is where else you could be_

_When you're at home  
_

"Just count for me," Tifa's voice remained calm.

The man let out a heavy sigh and rolled his eyes. "Fine. Ten, nine…"

She waited.

His eyes narrowed as he struggled to remember what came after nine.

"See," Tifa firmly took his bicep and pushed him towards the door, "too many. Now go back to your home and sober up-okay?"

"And what if I don't," He turned his head back and gave her a wide, drunken grin.

_Out on the street_

_Are so many possibilities_

_Do not feel alone  
_

Her grip on his arm tightened. "…Then I'll make you leave."

"You're a lady; so what-du-ya gonna do to me?" He let out another laugh.

Tifa twisted his arm and folded it behind him until he let out a yelp. "Let's go, Michael."

The man thrashed about; trying to escape from the barmaid's grasp. "I wan' another drink-"

She shoved him to the ground and pressed her foot against his back. "Don't you dare to fight me."

The bar was nearly-silent. Most there were regulars; apparently this man did not know that _nobody _argued with Tifa Lockhart-intoxicated or not. The patrons kept their gazes locked on the fallen man.

_The flames and the smoke_

_Climb out of every window_

_And disappears with everything that you hold dear  
_

"…Tifa?"

Tifa twisted back. Tifa and Marlene were standing at the stair landing, hand-in-hand. She gave them a small smile. "…Do you guys need anything?"

"We wanted to know when dinner was gonna be ready," Denzel spoke slowly and held Marlene closer to him. "We'll just go back upstairs if you want us to."

Tifa rose upright; however she kept her foot on his back. "We'll have dinner whenever Cloud gets home."

The two children looked at each other before Denzel pulled her back up the stairs. Marlene didn't like it when she had to wrestle her rowdy patrons to the bar-the boy knew this.

Tifa turned back to the man underneath her foot. "…I don't want you scaring the other customers. Go home and get sober again, okay?"

Whispering.

Some of the patrons were whispering to one another. She fixed her eyes upon the shadow of a person standing in the entrance doorway; their figure apparently motionless as they watched. She gave them a kind smile.

_Cloud. _


	2. Not Tonight

Second chapter, right below you here. c: I thought it turned out pretty well; given I thought I was only given a little bit to work with (this song's really short, as you can see). The song is called "Steadier Footing" By Death Cab For Cutie (love them, if you couldn't tell ^_^)-you should really look some of their work on YouTube sometime. :) I always love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to read and review, as always. :D Enjoy.

P.S. Forgot to add a disclaimer-I don't own any of the characters or the song, Square-Enix and Death Cab For Cutie do, bleh, bleh, bleh...

_

* * *

It's gotten late_

_And now I want to be alone_

_All of our friends were here-_

_They all have gone home  
_

Dinner went well.

Marlene and Denzel had so much to tell Cloud; they must have given him twenty pictures they had drawn while he was away.

….And it was closing time, which made it even better. No more wrestling drunks to the ground-at least, not until tomorrow.

Seeing Cloud and the two children made Tifa smile. It always did; they were always so thrilled to see him when he came back from such long trips. He always listened, and they always spoke. There was hardly anything that Cloud had to tell from his trips; or that's what it seemed like.

_And here I sit, on the front porch_

_Watching the drunks_

_Stumble forth into the night  
_

Tifa quietly sat down at the bar and rested her head into her hand as she read the newspaper. One of her customers had left it behind-she had to peer past the wet rings caused by their mug. She could see the shadows of the last customers leaving; their steps heavy and slow as they dreaded trudging back home.

…_See Cloud, that's you, and that's Tifa._

The barmaid froze for a moment.

Marlene had shown him a picture she had drawn of the two of them; although Tifa didn't know what it looked like.

…They didn't see what had happened a week ago, did they? Denzel and Marlene were notorious for sneaking downstairs while Tifa was staying up late to make sure she was alright-maybe they had woken up when Cloud had come home that night.

Looking back down to her newspaper, she let out a soft sigh.

_You gave me a heart attack-I did not see you there_

_I thought you had disappeared; so early away from here  
_

No real news. Like always.

Tifa didn't know why she always bothered to read the paper. Nothing new was every in it anymore; it just went on and on about events in Edge. So the Golden Saucer was reopening after the Geostigma-she didn't honestly care.

….But that was what she always did after Cloud had left to join SOLDIER. She had always thought that maybe, just _maybe_, he would be in the paper all day; he would come back to Nibelhiem for her, and they'd be able to-

_I promise._

The weary barmaid twisted her head back. Her eyes fell upon the silhouette of a shadow standing behind the corner of the landing. She knew he was there-she could always feel his presence in the same place as her.

The man stepped out of the shadows and stopped at the side of the counter. His blonde hair was still damp and an occasional drop fell from the dips-he had just finished taking a shower.

Tifa was silent. Cloud hadn't acknowledged her, even at dinner. His eyes had never met hers; not once in What was he doing down here?

He was fidgetting on his feet slightly.

She turned the barstool to face him and set the newspaper down beside her. "…Did you come down here for something?"

Cloud's electrically-blue eyes fell to the floor for a moment. He stood still; his feet planted firmly onto the floor while the atmosphere felt as if it were becoming as thick as a heavy fog.

"…Cloud?"

_And this is the chance I never got-_

_To make a moveBut we just talk about the people we've met in the last five years _

_And will we remember them in ten more?  
_

He finally looked up. His eyes locked with Tifa's; sending chills down her spine as she involuntarily dove into their seemingly endless depths. Cloud slid past the first table and stopped a few seats away. "…Can I sit here?"

Tifa nodded dumbly.

The blonde pulled the stool up behind him and sat down with his elbows onto the freshly-cleaned counter. He was quiet, his eyes seemingly locked on nothing in particular.

"Are you okay?" Tifa quickly threw the wad of newspaper into the trashcan beside her feet. "You look…" Her voice trailed off as she carefully studied his facial features.

Actually, she wasn't really sure _what _he looked like.

Cloud slowly nodded and closed his eyes for a moment. "I haven't slept much in the past few days."

"…Why is that?"

He shrugged slightly. "The bed at the inn sucked."

Tifa laughed softly and rose to her feet. "…I bet it feels better; being home now."

Cloud's eyes carefully followed her behind the counter. He said nothing; his lips were pursed together in a straight, unreadable line.

"Do you want to have a drink? I can make your favorite, if you'd like," Tifa was already pulling bottles of drinks from the shelves. A shot glass sat in front of her.

_I let you bum a smoke-_

_You quit last winter past_

_I've tried twice before_

_But like this, it just will not last  
_

The blonde shook his head and tapped his fingers against the countertop repetitively for several minutes. "…Not tonight."

Tifa paused with her back turned away from him. Staring into the mirror behind the bar, she could see his eyes burning into her back. She quietly slid the glass and the alcohol back into their respective shelves, her

"I'm going to go to bed," Cloud stood and pushed the barstool back underneath the countertop. Making his way back to the stairs, he stopped on the last step and tilted his head half-way to his left. "…Goodnight."

She blinked; slightly perplexed. Upon seeing the last bits of his shadow disappear behind the corner, she smiled slightly to herself.

_Goodnight, Cloud._


	3. Unrest

Ah herrow. c:

This chapter is taken from Cloud's point of view-he's sitting in his office/bedroom and thinking about everything that had happened in the past week. This is another song-fic featuring "You're Beautiful" (the clean version) by James Blunt. Sorry again about the spacing between the lyrics and the story-I can never seem to get them to separate the way I want them to. XD Oh well, I hope that you can distinguish the difference between the lyrics and the story and you like it. ^_^ Remember-me likey reviews. I'm always open to your comments and constructive criticism.

Enjoy. :)

_

* * *

_

_My life is brilliant_

_My love is pure_

He knew he should have said something.

With his eyes fixed to the ceiling; Cloud waited for the answers to each question he had to drift to him as he laid beneath the bed's covers.

He would have thought that he could finally get the respect that he had never received when he was younger. After all, he _was _the man who had conquered the mighty Sephiroth-multiple times, and lived to tell about it. There were certainly more women that looked his way when he was on Edge's streets; he supposed they thought that he was good-looking.

…But he didn't care about any of them.

_I saw an angel-_

_Of that I'm sure_

Cloud knew that he should have mentioned something about the week before to Tifa when he had been downstairs. They hadn't spoken much to one another since that night-he had never wanted to make her feel uncomfortable. Their short conversation just an hour ago was the longest they had since then; even dinner was nearly silent, take away Marlene and Denzel's speaking to him about what they had done while he was gone.

_She smiled at me in the subway_

_She was with another man_

He had _never _been popular when Tifa and him lived in Nibelhiem. Not with the other kids, and most certainly not with the adults; due to his lack of a father, mostly. Tifa always had the village's boys chasing after her-he was usually the one that was picked on and teased for wanting to be around her.

_But I won't loose any sleep tonight_

_Because I've got a plan_

…And then Tifa fell. She fell down Mt. Nibel, and her father forbid her from even looking at Cloud ever again.

When Cloud thought about it and closed his eyes, he could still see her motionless body lying at the bottom of the mountain. He could almost feel his skinned hands and knees when he fell down the same path, too; the burning of his legs and elbows and the disturbing sensation of warm blood trickling down his skin.

Cloud felt guilty that Tifa had to have been the one who was badly hurt-she had never done anything bad to deserve it. He was able to walk away; although the price he paid for doing so was getting a hard beating from her father and a long talk- and from then on, he was forbidden to be seen anywhere near Tifa.

_You're beautiful_

_You're beautiful_

_You're beautiful; it's true_

…And even after that, Cloud continued to watch Tifa. He felt as if he had a stronger urgency to want to protect her; to guard her from any thing that could ever cause her harm again.

They didn't speak for a month or two after that fall. After he had rescued her-after that small act of devotion; affection.

Just like that night a week ago. He had proved to her that he had never stopped caring for her, and he had meant every single word and action of it.

_I saw your face in a crowded place_

_And I don't know what to do_

_Because I'll never be with you_

He kissed her.

He held her.

he told her that he loved her.

And he meant it.

…And he liked it.

_She caught my eye_

_As I walked on by_

_She could see from my face_

_That I was flying high_

He felt as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He had gotten to say what he had wanted to for such a long time-it felt good.

…Or, at least, a bit of it.

_I don't think that I'll see her again_

_But we shared a moment that will last 'till the end_

Cloud didn't know something like that would ever happen again...

He could still hear her voice saying those three words. It was almost intoxicating-he kept playing them over and over in his mind.

_You're beautiful_

_You're beautiful_

_You're beautiful; it's true_

Cloud laid his head down against his pillow and closed his eyes.

…It felt _so _good to be back into a comfortable bed.

Turning his head just slightly to the side, he could smell the soft scent of Tifa's perfume from when she was doing the laundry and holding it against her chest as she brought the laundry back upstairs. His bed sheets were always that way every time he came back from a long delivery trip-no matter what, Tifa always made sure that his bed was clean and comfortable enough for him to sleep in while he was back home.

He could feel the welcoming dark beginning to envelope him in its grip.

_I saw your face in a crowded place_

_And I don't know what to do_

_Because I'll never be with you_

…It smelled like there was more perfume on his pillow than usual. He could almost taste it, in fact-it was sweet. Cloud couldn't help but smile as his muscles relaxed and his body began to unwind into the blankets…

He was home.

_You're beautiful_

_You're beautiful_

_You're beautiful; it's true_

Sliding further underneath the sheets, he let out a soft sigh as he inhaled the scent of his bed sheets.

He truly missed home-from Tifa's perfume to the hint of various alcohols in the air. It was all so familiar; it was calming.

_There must be an angel with a smile on her face_

_When she thought up that I should be with you_

…Aerith always told him that Tifa and him would look cute together. He normally dodged her numerous questions regarding the topic; but inside of him were always the answers that he so desperately wanted to come forth from his tongue

He didn't get to _really _tell her how he felt. He didn't get to get all of the words out. The kiss was enough at the time; but he needed more-he _craved _it.

And he got the feeling that Tifa did not, either. Perhaps it was a selfish desire, but…

_But it's time to face the truth_

_I will never be with you_

…He just couldn't settle with that.


	4. Pour Risquer

D: I haven't updated in a while. I hope you aren't angry. Haha. I know that this chapter is A LOT longer than the previous ones-and I apologize. But I got a little carried away. :p I'm also sorry if the storyline is a little rushed; I was getting excited because I knew that I had finally gotten around to writing the next chapter. :) This chapter isn't a songfic, either. I think that the next few chapters will just be normal chapters-I'm growing weary of song searching. Teehee. c: Note that the name of this chapter is French for the verb "to chance". You'll understand the meaning behind it as you read the chapter. And remember. Me likey reviews. Maybe I'll give you a monster chocolate-chip cookie if you're nice enough to do so. :D

Well I hope that you enjoy. ^_^

* * *

"I meant what I said, and said what I meant."

-Dr. Suess

For the umpteenth time in a single handful of hours, she shifted onto her side and buried her face deep into her pillow until all she saw was an entirety of black.

…Warm milk didn't help.

Neither did heated alcohol. She shouldn't drink that late at night, anyways. Just downing the smallest sip gave her a headache.

Or maybe that was just the utter exhaustion of being stuck in the same, endless rut day in and day out. Get up, work, go to bed.

_Ah, but add helping the kids with homework when they head off to school._

Counting chocobos wasn't working, either. It was already two in the morning-her body ached and all was left was the fibers of a tired body; although she couldn't bring her eyes to close for more than five minutes before they managed to pry themselves back open to gaze to the ceiling.

Just this night.

_Please._

Just this one night-for at least _one _night for the entire week, at least. She needed this sleep more than anything, but her body was working against her favor without her being able to control a single bit of it.

She sat up.

Adjusting the sleeves of her white undershirt, Tifa pulled herself to rest her aching back against the cool, metal headboard.

…Why this night?

Why, the night Cloud returns and she felt as though she could finally rest easily, must she be stuck awake so late into the night? No more worrying about monster attacks. No more thinking about thieves taking everything that he was carrying with him-not that Cloud would let them do that anyways. But, if they had weapons…

She didn't have to think about worst-case-scenarios any more. At least, not for tonight.

…The kids were asleep, right?

Tifa pressed her ear firmly against the drywall behind her.

…Silence.

_Perfect._

They were asleep after finally burning off their sugar rush provoked by numerously-stolen cookies taken while Tifa had been too busy to pay attention; busing patrons.

Cloud was asleep, too. He had gone to bed early for a normal night-he was usually still up; planning routes and taking his clients' late calls. But all was silent.

Twiddling her thumbs mindlessly in the black, Tifa closed her eyes and let out a frustrated sigh.

…She had to get up earlier the next morning. If she was awake all night, she wasn't going to be able to wake up to finish taking inventory. There wouldn't be anybody to watch the bar, either-who knew what kinds of people could walk in and do harm to the kids while she was asleep?

The young woman pushed the blankets to one side of the bed and dragged herself forward until the tips of her toes touched the cool, hardwood floor. Tip-toeing to the door, she pressed against the wood and slipped into the dark, narrow hall.

She felt like a complete idiot.

It was nearly two in the morning-Cloud was most certainly asleep. He looked exhausted when he came home; there was absolutely no chance that he was going to be up now.

… felt better knowing that he was home. The kids were happy, too-they both loved giving him drawings and telling him about their days and the happenings around the bar.

Not that anything extremely exciting ever happened while he was gone in the first place.

But then be gone again a day or two later.

Cloud was indeed getting better at reminding himself that life wasn't about work. But his personal life-or lack there of, was certainly something to be desired. He still hardly did anything outside of mapping routes and scheduling deliveries late into his nights until he was nearly passed out at his desk in the early hours of the morning.

He hardly had any energy left at the end of the day. Neither did she-the kids probably felt neglected at times as nobody was around to spend time with them half of the time. It was still very hard to maintain what was supposed to be their "normal", but they had to trudge forward; for each other's sake.

Tifa supposed that she could have stopped caring and said to hell with Cloud. She could have left the bar and started a new life; perhaps with the children.

But she didn't.

The one thing that she hated most of the time, oddly enough, was the thing that kept her held back. Cloud, when he was around, managed to keep her grounded long enough to visualize what was around her. He never had to say much, if anything at all-but seeing him just calmed her nerves for a few precious moments.

It also had the very potential to send exciting sparks from her head to her toes. Seeing him made her feel better; she could be the angriest she could be at Cloud and would still have to resist the urge to speak to him.

Everything about him was somewhat intoxicating. From his spiky, blonde hair that she could pick out in a snap-even in an enormous herd of chocobos; to his distinct, soft voice that always made her heart leap slightly upon hearing it.

And there were those electric blue eyes…every time she looked into them it felt like she could be lost in their depths for an eternity. Their glow had an eerie sense of alertness and perception that could pick up the smallest movement or disturbance. Everything about him made her feel safe-he couldn't let anything harm her or the children.

…Tifa liked it when they were younger. Before the SOLDIER mess, before Sephiroth, before everything. They had been so close to reaching on another on a level that could have been more than a mere friendship-but it never developed. Time had been taken away from them and he was gone as soon as it began.

But he left for her. He left to prove the townspeople wrong-he could be more than just the scrawny boy that couldn't do anything right. He wanted to show her that he _could _protect her; he would be there if she ever fell again.

Now she wanted to show him. Just silently watching from behind wasn't enough anymore. She wanted to know that the connection was still there. She _needed _to know that. For her sake. She did so much for him, he did so much for her; but why couldn't they just _say it_? Why couldn't it just happen so easily like it could have used to so many years ago?

Tifa poked her head in through the small crack in the children's room's door. The two lumps beneath the bed's covers remained motionless; asleep. She smiled slightly and watched for a moment longer before she backed out and shut the door-leaving a crack of course, so the monsters wouldn't hurt them.

She walked a few more feet to stop at another door at the end of the short hallway. This one was completely closed; with no drawings on paper taped to the front or chunks of paint missing from the wear and tear of two children running and playing about. This was just a normal door, with normal paint and a normal, un-dented doorknob. Daring to reach forward, the barmaid's long fingers slid across the cool metal and slowly turned it until a short, nearly-inaudible 'click' could be heard. She sensitively pressed the side of her body against it to allow it to open and peered in to take in the sight of his office.

The room itself could have been considered normal too, she supposed. But it was bare. The walls were a plain tan color that she wished she could do over so desperately. Everything was still in it's proper place; Cloud hardly ever put something _out _of place. It was something that had always admired somewhat about him-his need to have his possessions or others in the right spots whether others or himself ever exactly noticed.

…Well, at least the room was tidy. His desk was another story.

Stepping further into the small space, Tifa could see the clutters and clutters of receipts and other papers sitting upon the simple wooden desk on the opposite side of the room. He had never really been really good keeping his papers together-but that was something that she had come to overlook. Not that it mattered in the first place.

Tifa cautiously made her way closer and closer to the small cot in the corner of the room; careful not to bump anything over so that it may disturb the seemingly sleeping figure's sleep. She stopped a foot away from the bed and quietly knelt down until she was near-eye level to the blonde's.

…_Do you love me?_

She carefully pulled the thin blankets further up, closer to Cloud's shoulders. He must have really been exhausted-he would have woken up by now.

Tifa's fingertips gently ran across his knuckles, stopping at his wrist. Her wine-colored eyes shifted upward. Cloud remained asleep.

Her fingers slid further up until they reached the crook of his elbow. She could feel his pulse gently beating against her own skin. Life-it was a symbol of every sense of the word. Feeling that rhythmic pulsating sent waves through her hand as she reminisced of all the times where it had come so close to that familiar pulse threatening to stop. She frowned slightly.

She wasn't sure what she would do without him. Going on with life after he had left for SOLDIER was just that; she was simply going on. There was nothing to it-just a rut that she created after day in and day out of completing the same tasks; saying the same things. Telling people that everything was alright when, right under the surface, it wasn't. Nothing felt right-there was always that lack of something that she craved so deeply for.

The young woman froze and her breath stopped in her chest as the blonde shifted slightly. His hand slid from the side of his abdomen to his side, just a few inches away from hers. His breathing quickened; although it fell back to a slow, steady pace a moment later as he slipped back into a comfortable slumber.

Tifa let out a soft, shaky sigh and gently leaned her back against the wall behind her. He didn't hear her come in, did he? She craned her head over the edge of the bed slightly. Her voice remained just above a whisper. "…Cloud?"

Nothing.

She closed her eyes for a moment and lowered herself back down onto the floor.

_You've always had me, Cloud._

Tifa smiled slightly at the words and rested her head on the metal bed post. He had always had her; she had always had him. She guessed that it was always there-no matter how far away, physically or expressively they had been from one another.

She'd try it again. If only once more, she'd get the answer that she had been wanting to hear, just one more time. The silence was welcoming-there was no 'yes' and there wasn't a 'no'. To just know that maybe-just maybe, that he had really meant what he had said…

"…Do you love me?"

Silence. Cloud's sleeping form stayed motionless, given his slow breathing.

_I love you, Tifa._

The barmaid's eyes began to sting with hot tears that threatened to spill over onto her cheeks with every second that was spent; wasted on waiting for the answer that she knew was not going to come.

…But he moved.

His torso shifted to the side and his head sunk further into his pillow before two sapphire orbs slowly fluttered open to stare at the wall adjacent.

Tifa was as still as a stone now. Maybe, if she didn't move…

The blonde blinked several times as they carefully, swiftly scanned the room for any disturbances before they fell upon her. His voice was groggy and he spoke the name slowly; cautiously as if concerned that he may be making her silhouette from his own mind. "…Tifa."

She nodded and pulled herself to her feet in a rush. "I came in to check on you-to make sure that you were sleeping well," Her garnet eyes strayed away as she could begin to feel his intense gaze burning into her. "I accidentally tripped over one of the risen floorboards but you woke up before I could stand back up…" She pointed to the closest, abnormal wooden plank she could find before forcing a small smile onto her face.

Cloud said nothing; although Tifa could tell that he was not being easily persuaded by her bizarre excuse. His glowing eyes remained locked on her-they had barely moved from the time he had awoken to that exact moment. If there could only be one social skill that Cloud ever possessed, it was the ability to sort out the truth from lies.

"I'm sorry to have woken you up," She swiftly spun on her heels and turned her back away. "I didn't mean to fall."

"…You didn't fall."

The barmaid stopped a few feet from the door with her voice trapped in her throat.

_Just say something._

Tifa opened her mouth to speak.

_Just say SOMETHING._

She bit her lip and slowly twisted her head back until their eyes met.

"How long were you sitting here?"

She pressed her hip against his desk and pushed a pile of receipts back against the wall. "A few minutes."

Cloud was silent for several minutes before his slid out from beneath his bed sheets and set his feet upon the floor. "…Is everything alright?"

Tifa twisted her mouth to the side and crossed her arms to her chest as she thought.

_Not really._

Shaking her head, she quietly sat down in a chair shoved beneath the office desk. "…We haven't talked in a while."

"A week."

Tifa pursed her lips together.

"I guess that's a long time," He folded his hands and squeezed them together until his knuckles cracked.

She rested her elbow on the desk and lowered her head down into her hands. "The kids missed you while you were gone."

Cloud leaned forward and closed his eyes.

"We don't have to talk about this right now. You're tired-I know."

"I'm fine," He opened his eyes a moment later and rolled his head to one side. "I wasn't sleeping very well anyways."

"Nightmare?"

He shook his head.

"You sounded tired earlier-I just thought that I'd come and make sure that you were okay," She twisted her hair into a messy braid; if to simply distract herself from the dead-end conversation than nothing else.

"…I missed you."

Her fingers stopped weaving her hair and nearly all motion or thought from within her body stopped. The statement was somewhat puzzling-it felt as if it could have a thousand meanings to it. From the corner of her eye, she could see Cloud grimacing slightly as if he were mentally kicking himself in the ass for speaking in the first place. His lips were straight and his face blank; his eyes had fallen to the floor.

Tifa's hands slipped to her lap. "I missed you, too."

Cloud took in a breath and twisted his head slightly to the side.

"I don't think that we can avoid talking for very much longer, Cloud," The barmaid's voice was slow and cautious. "It's not going to be good for Marlene and Denzel, either."

The breath he was holding in his chest slipped out and his voice rose slightly. "Do you think that it doesn't bother me that we aren't talking?"

The young woman said nothing. She could hear the subtle, hot tone in his voice as he spoke to her.

"I didn't want to leave when I did," He let another soft sigh escape his lips. "I knew you'd think that I got scared."

"Scared?" Tifa's garnet eyes narrowed slightly.

"I thought that you'd think that I didn't mean what I said," He paused for a moment. That I got scared and ran off again to hide."

She spoke after a long while, with her voice just above a whisper with a heartrending crack . "…Did I scare you away?"

The blonde quickly shook his head. "I thought that you'd think that I left you again because I was too worried about what I did to face you again."

The timing of when he left for his deliveries hadn't actually crossed her mind until he mentioned it. But it hurt. To just think that he _could have _left because of what had happened that night-

"I should have told you that I had to leave for a few days. I knew that I should have called you to explain, but I couldn't find enough time to…"

"It's alright," She gave him a faint, compulsive smile to hide the sadness that was beginning to overwhelm her from the inside, out. She was so confused-what exactly was he trying to tell her?

Cloud ran a hand through his messy blonde hair before he noticed Tifa's eyes shimmering slightly with tears. She was trying to hide it with her head down; although he could still hear her shaky breath and soft sniffles above the dark silence. He quickly rose to his feet and made his way to her-upsetting her had never been his intent.

She hid her solemn face behind coffee-colored bangs; two garnet orbs gazing down to the ground at nothing in particular. If it could only keep her from drowning in his deep, endless oceans…

"Tifa."

She didn't meet him.

Cloud carefully knelt to the ground before her; his eyes studied her facial expression. "Tifa…"

The young woman's ruby eyes drifted away from his. "So you meant what you said…but you're just going to ignore the problem like you always do?"

"Problem?"

"I _liked _that kiss, Cloud," Tifa forced a laugh and flashed him a bitter smile.

The blonde's eyebrows furrowed together in a puzzled expression. His mouth twisted slightly to the side with a click against his teeth. He kept himself held back; the glow in his eyes seemed to intensify.

"I thought that maybe," She fought back yet another choke. "That would be our chance."

"…Chance?"

Tifa bit her lip and concealed her face behind hanging coffee hair. "That sounds strange-I know. It was probably something that I would have said when I was a teenager or something." Another acidic laugh.

There was a long pause between the two before Cloud spoke. His eyes slowly rose to meet her with an unreadable expression. "Did you think that we could never have one?"

"You _left_, Cloud-you didn't want to fight. You wanted to _die. _You wanted to die alone without me, or Denzel, or Marlene, or anybody there with you to give you hope. Just a little bit," The young woman's hands fell into her lap from her braided hair. "There's no chance for _anything _when you're not there to stand up with us."

"I'm here now."

Tifa; although she remained motionless-listened. His voice was strong, above the ductile words he so carefully used.

_Live in the moment._

She smiled slightly.

_For just once._

Lifting her head to meet his gaze; Tifa's eyes retained that last bit of kindness that she had always held onto so tightly. She let out a soft sigh and leaned closer, until their faces were only inches apart from one another.

Chance.

That was a strange word.

So many meanings; but it all led to the same outcome. A new beginning. A fresh start. And seeing that hope in Cloud's face gave her a push. He didn't want it to end. He didn't want it to be his start. He didn't want it to be her new beginning.

He wanted it to be _their_ beginning.


End file.
